Recession is changing the face of New Dorp Lane

On New Dorp Lane, jewelry stores have cut their losses during the recession by buying gold. Just down the street from S P Jewelry, above, a man, paid to wear a sign, advertises the opportunities of this recent gold rush outside of Kukulina Jewels. Similar ads stand propped outside of shops up and down the thoroughfare.
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE/TEVAH PLATTNEW DORP — The Great Recession has changed the face of New Dorp Lane.

Some local businesses have weathered the worst of the economic downturn, and others have shuttered, but three industries have proliferated in recent years along this East Shore commercial strip: Discount shops, gold buyers and fortune tellers.

The industries trade in three things people crave when financial crises hit: Affordable things, cash to buy them with, and reassurance.

“There are so many empty stores,” said Charlie Fragapane, a veteran jewelry buyer at S P Jewelry & Estate Buyers of Staten Island. “People don’t have the money to spend anymore.”

By contrast, Fragapane said, his business had the best year in its 15-year history in 2008. Since then, though, his trade has slowed, largely because of new competition. A number of jewelry-buying businesses have set up shop throughout Staten Island to profit from the recently soaring value of gold. To survive, Fragapane says he relies on the trust he has built in the community.

Jewelry stores, too, have cut their losses during the recession by buying gold. Just down the street from S P Jewelry, a man, paid to wear a sign, advertises the opportunities of this recent gold rush outside of Kukulina Jewels. Similar ads stand propped outside of shops up and down the thoroughfare.

Just down The Lane, a huge billboard promotes the services of “Mona’s psychic visions,” offering advice on love, family, business and health. “Call today,” reads the sign, “and get rid of your problems tomorrow.”

Nationally, psychic consultations have reportedly been a hot commodity throughout the recession as consumers from all economic tiers have sought financial advice and career-related insight.

In Port Richmond, Mark Eadicicco, a purveyor of Wiccan spells and Tarot readings, noticed two years ago that clients stopped asking about their romantic lives and began focusing on finance.

But not even these businesses are recession-proof.

Tarot, palm, eye and crystal readings have been sold for about three years at 302 New Dorp Lane, but reader Cynthia Philips said last week that she is getting ready to close.

The former Little Shop of Angels, Freedom Furniture, and Los Lobos Restaurant are among the New Dorp Lane businesses that now show “for lease” signs in the windows, but newcomer Closeout Heaven, which opened up in December, is flanked with grand-opening flags. The store sells heavily discounted warehouse items, many of them formerly offered by Costco, from discontinued kitchen wares to working video games in bent boxes. The offerings are varied, but last week included, for example, Queen-sized comforters for $17.99, Calvin Klein jeans for $19.99 and Guitar Hero III for $45.

“People are more cost-conscious during the recession, and we thought the store would be a good fit. People are always looking for good, name-brand merchandise at a lower cost than you’re going to find somewhere else,” said Arlene Tourance of Oakwood, who owns the shop and two other outlets in Brooklyn with her husband. “. . .I can’t say that we haven’t been hit by the recession, but we’re not as hard-hit as other stores.”